Shaun
Conlin

signals

WITH a few substantial
grades to the North

‘Shore’s infrastructure

this summer a few read-

ers have come to notice
- road markings like

never before, mainly

because they are freshly

painted.

Here’s the scoop. ©
Yeliow lines painted on the
road are used to divide a
roadway in half (though not
always equally ) so said road
¢an be used for two directions
of travel without conflict.
Sometimes this line is con-
sistently solid. Sometimes it is
broken, or carefully “dotted.”

- Often times it is doubled with
various broken/solid combi- °
‘nations. We here in Canada
are required to drive on the
right 5 side of yellow lines
except in some extenuating
circumstances.

White lines on the road
show the road and/or lane

_ edge, Never doubled, it is

’ either dotted or solid only.

». | Sometimes there is a

. Noticeable lack of lines on the

road, This absence usually

“occurs on quiet rural roads
where print would be a waste
of time and money. On line-

less roads, cars are required to
_drive as close to the night
-hand curb as practical...
'-<Ttis generally accepted that
a solid line. of either colour is

~ not to be crossed, but this is a

generalization. While it is ille-

‘gal to overtake or pass the

. ‘vehicle(s) i in front of you by
crossing a solid fine in most
cases, it is not always so. :

<: -The mighty Motor Vehicle.

“Act (MVA) goes to great

2 engths to cxpkin solid and

“Cars that

north shore news

2 AUTO
Between the lines

broken yellow lines and does
mention that when you begin
to pass a car in a broken line
area you may finish the
manocuvre even if the line has
gone solid. Driver’s please
note that solid lines on the
road usually indicate a danger-
ous passing area — blind,

busy or such — so completing
your pass quickly yet sately is
paramount.

Note also that solid line
laws are suspended if you are
overtaking an “obstruction.”
Curiously, “obstruction” is
not defined in the MVA but
we generally accept things like
stalled cars, dead possums,
roadside repair equipment and
parked buses to be obstruc-
tions and when you have
decided you’re being
obstructed and you must cross
a solid line, you still must
ascertain that “the movement
can be made with safety and
without affecting the travel of
any other vehicle.”

Crossing a solid line for
the purpose of entering or
leaving the road (turning off
of or onto a road over a solid
line) is also perfectly legal as

‘long as no one else is affected

or disturbed by such a
manoeuvre.

In many situations drivers
are tempted to pass a vehicle
on the right which many
assume is illegal. This is also a
generalization. Passing on the
right is allowed: if the car in
front of you has signal!. J its
intention to turn left; when
there are two or more lanes
designed for travel in the same
direction, and even when
there is only one lane but the ©
road is wide enough to easily
fit an extra car on the right.

All of these opportunities
are restricted, however, if “the

_ Movement cannot be made

safely or by driving the vehicle
off the roadway.”
A road’s shoulder is
defined by a solid white line, if
anything, and this area is con-
sidered “off the roadway.”
Driving on the shoulder is
generally considered illegal
although the same line
laws/suspensions can some-

fit your.

budget as neatly as
your lifestyle.

91.6 litre erigine
© Power steering & brakes
_ © Front wheel drive

* Airbags & side impact beams

¢ Variable intermitte: ~ wipers
© Rear door child-safety locks

* Centre consol

* Dual cupholders
Split folding rear seat
® Seating for five

* Rear defogger

times be applied there.

Solid white lines also com-
monly occur a few metres
before a busy intersection and
this is to restrict cars from
passing on the right (or left)
in or near that intersection,
which in itself is not illegal
but is very dangerous.

There is so much going on
in an intersection and many
drivers there about come to
rely on the fact that, last they
checked, so and so was in that
lane and so and so was over in
that lane and now it’s safe for
me to do such and such.
Bang. Something changed
because so and so did a last
minute lane change and was
suddenly somewhere else.

Folks, if you're going to
change lanes at or near an
intersection the onus is on
you to make sure you’re being
safe about it. However, if
you’re crossing a solid white
line while changing lanes near
an intersection, well, you’re
out of line and contravening
Section 151(b) of the mighty
Motor Vehicle Act.

It is the astute driver who
looks weil ahead of his or her

_ car a notes potential hazards
or blockages in an upcoming
intersection and deals with
said problems well before
they're in the thick of it.

To sum up the purpose of
a solid white linc, they tell you
that if you haven’t figured out
what lane you want to be in
before now, it’s too late, stay
where you are.

Generally, that’s the skinny
on lines. The freshly painted
ones and the old faded ones.

. Be sate.

«2 AEG

Come tt :
Sund

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